Congratulations Brittny and Earl: "Fall In Love"

Fall is one of the most popular times to plan a wedding -- and for good reason! On Saturday, October 8, 2016 Brittny and Earl Guyton became one. Their sunset union took place on the beautiful grounds of the University Park Golf Club. Here are a few photo's commemorating their day.

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Peace, My Journey, My Way, SimplySHAY ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 31-Happy Anniversary!!!

In 1997 I married a simple man with simple pleasures.  As the end of 2014 is here I'd be remiss without mentioning that today also ends another year of being married to my wonderful husband.  He has been my biggest cheerleader and supporter.  Today, as you celebrate the end of one thing and the beginning of another I join you in celebrating the beginning of more fabulous years married to the man that knows my worth and makes me smile.

Happy Anniversary Rick!!

~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 29-Cooperative Economics

Today is the fourth day of Kwanzaa, a celebration of the Kwanzaa principle which is Ujamaa/Cooperative Economics sharing and pooling our financial resources and goods and services for the common benefit of family and community participants with the goal of building and sustaining cooperative economic enterprises.  To build OUR OWN Businesses, control the economics of OUR OWN Community AND share in ALL its Work AND Wealth.

Vow to the following:

• Strive to become increasingly proficient in discerning and developing family-based and community-based enterprises and sharing those visions with others
• Be studious to understand the best ways to maximize the buying power of our dollars in the local, national and global economies.
• Strive to have a serious and consistent savings program in order to accumulate the wealth required to develop or participate in significant economic endeavors. 
• Be pro-active in finding and working with others who are striving to grow according to the challenges of this Ujamaa principle.

Candle Lighting:  On the fourth day of Kwanzaa, the family lights the RED candle. This candle is symbolic of the collective work and effort. Kwanzaa commitments are made around the principle of Cooperative Economics.





~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 28-Your Purpose

My sister and friend LaToya Perry posted this on FB and I wanted to share it with you.  Be encouraged!

"With all the things going on in the world it makes my heart heavy. It would appear that daily as a people we are losing our love and simple kindness for one another. I can only imagine what the Lord sees and how His heart must break as He watches His children make choices that will lead to their destruction. All the while, we have disregarded the gentle nudges and some times the outright bricks of correction that has been thrown at us. We are caught up in the show.

What is the show? The show is what the enemy uses to distract us from our mission. He uses any and everything. The magicians are great at this tactic. They call it slight of hand. While performing their magic trick, they keep your eyes occupied on something insignificant meanwhile, the thing you should be focused on is being done right in front of your eyes and you don't see it. We get occupied and caught up doing and being all that GOD has NOT called us to do. We get frustrated and burned out by living and doing what we THINK or WANT our purpose to be. Sometimes it's clear but often times it's not. We HAVE no clue what all the Lord has put in us. We've failed to go to The Maker and inquire into what should our usage be. We allow "the show" to dictate our usage. If you allow the show to dictate your actions, you will find yourself at the end of the year declaring that in the Next year, your dropping all your insecurities, fake friends, dead beats, negativity and so on. Not realIzing, that those very same things and people will be with you in the next year because you will make the same decisions because you don't know why you're here and secondly because maybe some of those fake friends were meant to build you into a better you.



I'm encouraging you as well as myself to spend these last days of 2014, seeking God for direction. "The show " will keep you frustrated and always looking for the next. God's purpose and mission will keep you fulfilled and inspired. Yes, the show will always try to get your attention but if you stay on mission you will easily be able to discern what and who is not for you.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that should be your first order of business. How can you know what God has for you if you don't know Him. Next, commit to seeking Him and finding out what HE would have you to do and not what you think or feel you should be doing.

I wish you all the joy you can contain in this coming year. I pray that you would be a solution to this world's problems and not a participant in its downfall. I pray that you would forgive other's quickly and remember that you are not perfect and do not walk on water. We are going to disappoint and hurt one another, we are human. However, choose to extend grace and love instead of hatefulness and vengeance."

~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "True Love"

After a wedding weekend I'm often feeling "some kind of way".  In addition to EXHAUSTED I love the feeling of love when it's in the air.  That kind of love that involves little dreaming and scheming but breathing relevance into otherwise monotonous moments. That love that makes commuting to work easy because you know that someone cares about what you’re going to have for lunch; understanding that you do not have to be your dynamic, charming, weekend self all the time and it won’t change a thing!   

It's true love, when you say you need me like I need you

And you can't be without me, like I can't be without you

It's true love, when we spend time talkin' on the phone

'Cause when we're not around each other, we don't wanna to be alone

True Love... It should be as contagious as a running nose at a daycare center and catch on like a wildfire and burn until what seems like forever....or until you re-light the flame!

"Live & Love"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "Live Your Best Life"

When we enter into marriage it is certainly our hope that it will last forever.  Actually, we hope for a couple of forevers.  What to do when forever is suddenly shortened?  Is it really possible to "Love Without End?" 

This past weekend I was doing some Saturday "stuff" which kept me away from FB and more so at the grocery store and then in the kitchen.  After I finished doing all that I needed to do for my family I thought it would be nice to take a nap but had to check FB first to see what was going on around the world.  To my disbelief the first message on the screen was from my niece in law stating that her cousin and good friend of the family, Rev. Bryan Wilson had suddenly passed away.

Although Bryan is gone he left here sharing a couple of  "forevers" with the love of his life.  Bryan and Robyn have been married for 25+ years and were living their best life vacationing together in the Bahamas.  R.I.P Bryan.... continue to Love Without End Robyn!

'Cause if your love was all I had in this life

Well that would be enough until the end of time

So rest your weary heart and relax your mind'

Cause I'm gonna love you girl until the end of time

"Live & Love"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

WEDnesday Love: "Butterflies and New Beginnings"

During wedding season you've probably seen people throw rose petals or blow bubbles when a newlywed couple exits the wedding ceremony. A fun and beautiful alternative to the above traditions is to have guests release butterflies after the nuptials.  Butterflies symbolize new beginnings, so a butterfly release is a magical way to symbolize a marriage.

Not sure when to release the butterflies?  They can be released in one of two ways, an individual release or a mass release. For the individual release, each butterfly is in a small, secured box and as the couple exits the ceremony site, each guests opens a box and releases a butterfly. For the mass release, the butterflies are held in a large box or container and when instructed, someone will open the box and all of the butterflies will be released. This is typically done by the bride and groom.

Butterflies can be ordered from a variety of companies.  Here are a few possible places to order butterflies:

• Swallow Tails Farms – They offer monarch butterflies. While they recommend ordering as soon as possible, they are sometimes able to accommodate last minute orders.
• Amazing Butterflies – They offer monarch butterflies and painted ladies.
• Butterfly Release Company – They also offer monarch butterflies and painted ladies. Last minute orders are accepted.

Tips for Releasing Butterflies

• When you receive the package, replace the ice pack with a frozen one. This will keep the butterflies dormant.
• An hour before you want the butterflies to fly, take the boxes out of the insulated shipping box. This gives the butterflies time to wake up.
• When choosing the type of butterfly, know that painted ladies will linger after being released while monarchs will fly away quickly. However, the monarchs are twice the size of painted ladies.

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "A Couple of Forevers"



 

Like many of us, Chrisette Michele isn't asking for much ... just “A Couple of Forevers.”   Shot in Savannah, Georgia and directed by Derek Blanks this sultry song is perfect for that walk down the aisle, or simply while enjoying a glass of whatever with your forever!  

 

 

I see it clear, my heart is here

We got each other, let’s take it from there

And if I could I’d love you a forever at a time, Oh oh oh

What we’ve been through, no one else knows

Cause all that matters is how far this goes

And it will go until it starts again, oh oh

Just a couple of forevers

A couple of forevers

I’m the only one, you’re the only one

Together till never

Oh I’m talking about forever

Just a couple forevers

Oooh, I’m the only one, you’re the only one

Together till never, never, never

 

 

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "You Are..... Everything"

Staying true to celebrating the magic of music Charlie Wilson has given us the perfect wedding song! If you don't know "Uncle Charlie" you must have been living under a rock.  Charlie Wilson’s distinctive voice is evocative of both past and present. He is one of the few artists whose vocal style and performance continue to influence some of today’s most popular artists including R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West to name a few. 

 

 

Butterflies is what I feel inside
And every time it's like my first time oo wee
And I can never find the words to say
You're the perfect girl
You're made for me
It's so easy to love you baby
We're compatible, incredible and natural we are
And girl I've never felt this way before
From the bottom of my heart
Baby girl I just wanna tell you that you are

Some people search a life time and never find a true love oo wee
Heaven care enough for me to give me you
And now our hearts can beat together 

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "Daydreaming...."

.....a short-term detachment from one's immediate surroundings, during which a person's contact with reality is blurred and partially substituted by a visionary fantasy, especially one of happy, pleasant thoughts, hopes or ambitions, imagined as coming to pass, and experienced while awake.  DAYDREAMING and I'M THINKING OF YOU!

We get so busy in our every day lives with work and family that we often forget how to do something as simple as fantasize.  Reality has made us so complacent in our relationships that we forget that it's ok to dream and let our imaginations go wild.  We're so "grown" that we need reminding that it's ok to wonder what the evening or weekend will be like.  It IS fun, fascinating and even intriguing to envision the endless possibilities of love refreshed and renewed!  D A Y D R E A M!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: ".....Motivation"

The power of music is mind blowing, music can be an incredible tool for motivation! 

As we're approaching the 4th of July remember fireworks don't have to be limited to outside at the park.  Re-ignite your love life with some magical motivating music.  I like old school so a few of my favorite artists include Enchantment, EWF, Charlie Wilson, Bobby Womack, Prince, Will Downing, Luther Vandross, etc.  However, if you're looking for a little new school "Motivation".. Kelly Rowland just might be able to help you out.

Wondering if I should add a disclaimer OR you could name the baby "SimplyShay" - enjoy life!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "I'm STILL in love with him"

As we end June and start summer I felt we could spend Monday's focusing on the magic of music.  Music that makes you swoon and remember who, what, when, where and why! 

Do you remember the first time you kissed? The first time you said those three magical words?  You remember long talks on the phone and walks in the park? How often do you revisit those times? It's so easy in our relationships to get settled and way too comfortable.  Tamia simply says:

Still, feels like the first time we met that I kissed and I told you I love you,
we still run around like teenagers even though we're grown and married with kids,
and we still talk on the phone for hours when I'm away
and he still writes letters and send me flowers every other day,
the question everybody ask is how we make it last
I tell them
I still
he still
we still

He's still, still the man of my dreams,

he's still, still the man for me and I'm still in love with him deep deeply - "love without end"

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

WEDnesday Love: "Galena Elopement"

As a professional wedding and events planner talking about a couple eloping is probably the last thing you'd think I'd discuss.  Fact is... couples do it and over the next couple of weeks we're going to focus on some pretty cool places both near and far!

If you ask me, the whole idea of elopements can be really romantic. It’s that won’t-wait-for-anything kind of love, tumbling into matrimony with a momentum too fast to plan a wedding.

An elopement wedding in Galena, IL at the Cloran Mansion is sure to relieve the stress associated with planning a wedding.  Beautiful and affordable their "Our Day Has Come" Elopement package includes the following:  Officant, witness, Photos presented on a CD, Wedding bouquet, champagne, keepsake glasses, and a miniature wedding cake.
Live and Love!!!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "I AM My Sister's Keeper"

What is sisterhood? What is friendship?  What is loyalty?  What is accountability?  All of these attributes partially describe the wonderful women I associate with.  Over the past few years my level of patience for nonsense has really grown thin and it bothers me when I see women that are suppose to friends sit back and watch another fall by the wayside.  What gets my goat even more is a woman rolling around in a pile of self pity.  STOP!

We're all busy living life, raising families and working jobs and some are even running a business or two.  With all of that there should still be a deserving pause for "girl stop" or "girl go" if necessary.  As my director would call it... "sister girlin' it".

Recently, I read somewhere about having an accountability partner.  Although I agree, I don't agree with the thought that the person can't be your clubbing or church hopping buddy.  KNOW your circle- I wrote a post last week about knowing your inner and outer circle.  Those that are in my circle, yes we may go out on occasion but I declare if there is a pull up that needs to be done - they'll be the ones to do it. 

Surround yourself with people that understand it's not cool to sit back and watch your demise but it's important to keep each other uplifted, inspired and encouraged.  To have the backs of those we call "friend" and to hold each other accountable.  It's real simple.. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO!  The world is full of  "I'm getting mine, you get yours"...  if you call her your sister or any level of friend, if she falls, dust her off and bring her with you.

Remember:  Everyone isn't suppose to be IN your circle - choose wisely!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "Knowing your inner AND outer circle"

I get a lot of my Monday Motivation from things I see on Facebook as well as simply living life and learning.  What I've noticed is that people have a lot of opinions which is fine just as long as they understand that just like they've formed opinion regarding a certain topic the next person can exercise their opinion and agree or disagree.  Does this make it "gospel"? Sure doesn't!

Recently, the topic was regarding singles and (in my own words) whether or not they should or should not add to a conversation regarding marriage.  Some people feel that if you're not married then you have nothing to offer (by way of opinion) to a married couple.  One person partially agreed because if divorced then one could offer some feedback based on their experiences.  I personally think that everyone, no matter of their "status" might have something beneficial to add to your life IF they are part of your circle.

Sharon? What does this have to do with my circles?  Well that is actually your outer circle.. all of those people on social media that you share portions of your business with, sit and virtually holler at every day, laugh and sometimes even cry with help form a thought.

Who is in your inner circle? Is it like minded people? People that have your same values vs. people that agree with you just because they don't feel like the debate? No thank you! If you're in my inner circle I need you to be a thinker!  My inners spend a major part of their day figuring things out.  They are productive, compassionate, single, divorced, married AND successful  Although we don't always agree; I trust them!  If they couldn't offer me truth in every area of my life then they have no business IN it. 

What type of growth would you experience if everyone in your circle agreed with you all the time.  That's some kind of perfection isn't it?

“It does take great maturity to understand that the opinion we are arguing for is merely the hypothesis we favor, necessarily imperfect, probably transitory, which only very limited minds can declare to be a certainty or a truth.”    -  Milan Kundera, Encounter

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: "After the Love is Gone"

Do we ever truly stop loving our first love? Have you been in a relationship and then when it suddenly ended you couldn't imagine yourself ever loving again?  This past weekend I spent some time with a dear friend and we discussed this very topic.  Often being married it's difficult to be heard when it comes to surviving "the love I lost" but although I am married NOW, I wasn't always.

I am a woman who has lived, loved, lost and recovered - SimplyShay

Breaking up is never easy to do no matter which side of the fence you're on.  If you're the one ending the relationship (unless it's just BAD), you don't want to be seen as a jerk or someone with no regard for the feelings of others so you may struggle with how to end it.  In your struggle you have to be careful not to string someone along with the hopes of finding the right words.  KNOW THIS:  There are NO "right" words.

If you're the one being left I probably don't have to go into how broken that can make you feel.  The level of hurt that comes along with that is sometimes close to unbearable.  You wonder where you went wrong, what you could have done to prevent it, what if this, what if that....  If IF was a fifth, we'd all be drunk.

I'm finding that in speaking with people the best way to "get over it" is to be OK with not getting over it.  Don't give in to becoming bitter and angry but know that having the ability to love is a good thing.  The cliché "it's better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all" is very true.  Never give up on love; be honest about your feelings and know they are valid.  We all have made some mistakes; life is about learning lessons and growing - no one said those lessons would be easy.  A good friend shared something with me that I hold dear to my heart - "Everything has Purpose".

TRUE STORY:  A lady was asked to join a singles club and her response was clearly not the response expected.  She simply stated, "I'm Single?"  Being comfortable in her own skin and not wallowing in the what if's is how she lives her life.

"There was a boy and a girl who loved each other dearly yet too "stuck" in past hurts to admit it.  They dated for years hiding true feelings and today, although they love each other - they are the only two that know it"  That's the true shame of love lost...

If you're struggling with this topic, Chantelle Bittings offers therapy for individuals, couples and families.  Visit her on Facebook at Chantelle Bittings, LCPC or her website http://cbittingstherapy.com/

" Live Life With No Regrets"
 Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: Desire Me, Respect Me; Oh, the TEMPtation

To be desired; a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome is a powerful emotion. To be tempted is to be inviting or attractive to something or someone and some would say it's an attempt to get someone to do wrong.

"All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can't be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot."~Henry War Beecher

Every day we are tempted by something; to eat a burger or not? To run the light or wait? To speak or study to be quiet?   Heck, Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden and we see how that went down.  My thought is everyone is capable of all things; I am a firm believer that men need an opportunity and women simply a reason.  However, spare me the thought of "the devil made me do it".  The devil, nor anyone else or anything, forces us to make these bad choices and yield to temptation. Sin is our choice. Temptation is something that we know is wrong, but our flesh wants to do it anyway. 

I've been seeing clips from the upcoming Tyler Perry movie TEMPTATION and also various groups having what they consider open discussions on the topic.  In the movie this one line really has me thinking - "I want to feel alive, I want to feel wanted".  So let's talk about it!

Everyone wants to feel alive, wanted, desired and in the end respected.  Every Thursday many of us watch Olivia and that man have so much fire that it's amazing they are able to show it on regular television.  We all long for the type of fire that happened when love was new.  We've read about it in Shades of Grey, seen it on television and if we're honest, envisioned it in our heads.

Where has this type of passion gone?  Have we gotten so caught up in our day to day lives that we've failed to pay attention?  Have we taken our mates for granted or do we feel so low about ourselves that the first wink turns us on?

Chantelle Taylor-Bittings, wife, mother and owner of Chantelle Bittings, LCPC a Professional Certified Therapist believes that "small changes can yield lifetime results" shares her feelings on the topic.

"I feel that it is easier to focus on who is not stroking your fire rather than reigniting the flame yourself. Fire needs oxygen. Turn to your neighbor and say: Breathe on me!!!"

Afraid to speak openly and honestly on the topic? That's fine, at least be honest with yourself!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.